The present invention relates generally to a card connector and more specifically to a card connector that may receive any of multiple sized cards.
Conventionally, an electronic device such as a personal computer, a cellular phone, a PDA (personal digital assistant), a digital camera, a video camera, a music player, a game machine, a vehicle navigation device, and so on is provided with a card connector because of the fact that such an electronic device uses various types of memory cards such as a SIM (subscriber identity module) card, a MMC®(Multiple Media Card), a SD® (Secure Digital) card, a mini SD® card, Memory Stick®, Smart Media®, and so forth.
In recent years, as the types of electronic devices have been diversified, memory cards are also showing a tendency of diversification. Therefore, a card connector in which not only one but two different types of memory cards can be mounted is proposed (For example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) publication No. 2003-132976).
FIG. 29 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a conventional card connector in which reference numeral 811 designates a housing of the card connector, and reference numeral 861 denotes a holder member, which holds a first card 901 and a second card 902 and is pivotally connected to the housing 811. The first card 901 and the second card 902 are different in not only size but also locations of a first cut-away portion 911 and a second cut-away portion 912 and the numbers and arrays of first connecting pads 951 and second connecting pads 952.
Therefore, in the holder member 861, a first accommodating portion 871 for accommodating the first card 901 and a second accommodating portion 872 for accommodating the second card 902 are formed respectively. In addition, the holder member 861 is provided with insertion guides 862 for allowing the first card 901 and the second card 902 to be inserted, pivotal shafts 863 pivotably attached to the housing 811, and pivotal motion actuating arms 864 for causing a pivotal motion of the holder member 861.
Further, the housing 811 is provided with a plurality of first window opening portions 821 and a plurality second window opening portions 822 formed in a substrate portion 812 thereof. Furthermore, a first terminal 851, which comes into contact with each of the first connecting pads 951 of the first card 901, is accommodated in each of the first window opening portions 821, and a second terminal 852, which comes into contact with each of the second connecting pads 952 of the second card 902, is accommodated in each of the second window opening portions 822. The housing 811 is moreover provided with bearing portions 813 in which the pivotal shafts 863 are pivotably supported, arm fixing portions 814 for holding the pivotal motion actuating arms 864, and an accommodating recess portion 815.
Therefore, the first card 901 and the second card 902 having different sizes can be mounted simultaneously as if they are superimposed on one another.
Nevertheless, in the conventional card connector described above, since the first card 901 and the second card 902 having different sizes, shapes, and so forth, are superimposed on each other and mounted, dimensions of the housing 811 and the holder portion 861 in a thickness direction must become lager, which in turn increases the overall size of the connector and makes it difficult to attach the connector to a small-sized electronic device. However, in an ordinary stage of use of an electronic device, it is not required to mount two cards at the same time, and it is instead required to be able to selectively mount any one of a plurality of types of cards having different sizes, shapes, connecting pad arrays, and so forth.
Moreover, although a function for preventing a card from being mounted in a location provided for a different type of card, in other words, a function for preventing erroneous mounting, is also required, it is particularly possible in the above-mentioned conventional card connector that one may mount the small-sized first card 901 to a location where the large-sized second card 902 should be mounted.